The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-07-15
a 4 ISLANDER on wnEELINa /,
Promulgated by tho state Board Of Health
4 - la tnn

@f5rl s'it''f5 at Charleston.
1t Is reported that the principal work Of
interest to the public transacted by the
State Board OF Health at its annual meet.
ing held ut Charleston this week was tho
the adoption Of the following:
WHEREAS, A report that is believed 10
be authentic has reached tho State Board
Of Health Of West Virginia, that the
water supply and general sanitary con-
dition OF the city OF Wheeling Is In q
most reprehensible and alarming condl-
ton, and h 5Y,t ma 4
WHEREAS, The percentage OF sickness
and mortality from typhoid fever 10 un-
equalted in any city In the Unitsd States
aud surpassed by but fow cities in tho
world, therefore N Y, n al x. y M M Z.
Rtsoirta, That tho Secretary Of this
Board be directed to visit as soon as con.
venient the city Of Wheeling and make or
cause to be made thorough investigation
Of the condition Of 1.-THE water supply and
general sanitary condition Of the city, and
mako such recommendations to the city
authoritieu as the exigencies Of the csao
demand, and 10 report hin action to this
Board. f'HGg.I. d 1850 'IIg1
The Board held Its sessions with closed
doors and as far as Ia known tho above 10
about the only news that 1t ssy fit to rive
to the press. Judging from. the few ex.
pteesiona heard about town last night
alter the full text oil tho resolution had
been received, the Board would have
been In higher esteem at least by the
people Of Wheeling, had 1t kept the reso.
luton hid. under the secrecy OF its star
chamber seeslons, instead Of advertising
tho chief commercial city Of the State III
such M exaggerated and uncalled Tor
manner. Tho expressions heard all con-
demned both tho tenor OF the resolution
aud the fact that 1t was given out,
One gentleman, who has given the sub.
Iject Of Wheeling's water supply some at.
tention, waited to know who the author
was; that the Board did not make public.
Continuing, he eaid: ~ suppose CARR.
son Is the originator Of 1t, and why would
II not have been IS easy for him TO have
done thething quietly II he wanted to do 1t,
Instead Of going about 1t In q way calcu.
lated to unnecessarily alarm people?
Another gentleman said, ~ am aware that
our water supply js not 40 pure as 1t might
be, and that it ought 10 be improved; but
1t Ia not as bad as that resolution makes 1t
out to be-that l know. Neither does
typhoid fever rage here as that resolution
would make out" 0g tssl h.
A few minutes hurried conversation re.
lativb to the matter was had with Health
Officer Reed, one OF whose distinguishing
characteristics Ia an inclination to be
modest and retiring, and who aims
to avoid anything like notoriesy. At the
same time he ia hard-working, conscieu.
tious official. He said: "The resolution
leGda one to have very much exaggera.
ted IDEA as TO hesani!sry condition Of the
city and its mortality, especially the sec.
ond 'whereae.' A point is made In that
that is not true. In April, May and
June, only five deaths resulting from
typhoid fever took place in this city, and
one OF these cases was DR.. Garrison's
brother, who was brought from Martins
Ferry to the Hospital after he had become
very ack. 80 there we're really but four
deaths from ieysr-two in April and two
III June. And this rate, l think, is fair
average one for the year"
The Doctor happened to have with him
4 tabulated statement Of the mortality
returns for the month Of May from nearly
! two hundred towns and cities. A special
comparison was made with the rsturns
from towns along the Ohio river, both
above and below this point, and a large
majority indicateda worse sanitary state Of
affairs than is to be found in any part oil
this city. A comparison WAS made with
cities all over this country, and in only q
lew cases was q better showing made than
thatby Wheeling. DR.. Reed volunteered the
statement that the water supply might be
much improved, but at the same timc he
denounced the free handed msnner in
which Wheeling is advertised as ono Of
| the most unhealthy places in the coun.
try "a statement that is mauiiestly false